Ice skating rink



R. J. YOCUM ICE SKATNG RINK Dec. 28, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed not. 31,4 1947 Y INVENTOR. /Qeubzz J. Yoczzm HTTo/z/vgy f Dec. 28, 1948. y l R. J. YoczumA 2,457,519

' ICE SKATING RINK Filed Oct. 31, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY /E'eubarz J Yaczmz qTTO/ENEY Patented Dec. 28, 1948 ICE SEATING RJNK Reuben J. Yocum, Omaha, Nebr.

Application October 31, 1947, Serial No. 783,359

Claims.

Another object of the invention is to provide a` rink having an ice supporting floor and side walls of transparent or translucent material through which light may pass from either above or below and at the same time providing Safe and operable skating surface support.

The invention further provides that the tubing for passage of refrigerant also be of transparent or translucent material and, where the utmost transparency or translucency is desired, the invention contemplates the use of a refrigerant of a water clear type.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction withv the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principles of the invention have been selected for exemplication.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an ice-skating rink and illuminating means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rink shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rink shown in Figs. 1 and 2 complete with a surface of ice and broken away to show the floor and illuminating means construction;

Fig. 4 is a vertical Section of a iloor block of modified construction having illuminating means disposed within the block;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the block shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a further modied oor block having channels for the ow of refrigerant; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed section of a modied form of the invention showing an integral door and sidewall.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, a rink oor framework is composed of any suitable number of parallel steel beams I 0 bounded by Cross members I3 extend between adjacent beams III rto brace the same and to provide a support as will hereinafter be described.

The ice supporting floor is of annealed glass or any other suitable transparent or translucent material. In a preferred construction the-floor is formed of a plurality of glass blocks I 6, set in and sealed in the steel framework structure. In one particular embodiment of the invention the blocks are of shatter-proof glass and approximately four feet square and an inch and a quarter thick, capable of withstanding in the neighborhood of ve hundred pounds per square inch in load and the shock load of two skaters of a hundred and fty pounds each jumping on an area of approximately ten square inches. Such plates or blocks further have a very low coefiicient of expansion so that when water is frozen on their upper surfaces they will -be subjected to a minimum of stress. Rink floor side Walls I1 are also provided preferably of the same material as the floor blocks I6. The side walls i1 extend around the perimeter of the floor and are of sufficient height to receive a layer of ice of any particular depth desired. Ordinarily, the thickness of the ice in skating rinks is from one-half inch to four inches and it is preferable that the Side Walls Il extend Slightly above the Surface of the ice. Spaces between the blocks I6 andfside walls I1 are, of course, suitably water-proofed to provide an impervious surface and preferably a compressible material such as sponge rubber I9 is employed to absorb expansion as the result of freezing and to relieve stress on the iloor and side Wall materials.

-a slight distance above the surface of blocks IS Which form the ice supporting floor. The tubes I8 are connected at opposite ends to suitable headers of known construction, and not there- I fore shown in detail. Both the headers and tubes I8 are formed of transparent or translucent material as, for example, Pyrex or other suitable glass or plastic composition. Where maximum transparency is desired, a water clear refrigerant such as Prestone, carbon tetrachloride or any other hydrocarbon derivative having a good index of refraction may be employed as the refrigerating medium in the tubes I8.

The invention thus provides an ice supporting oor, side walls and refrigerating means all composed of transparent or translucent material whereby to permit the passage of the .maximum amount of light therethrough. Combined .with

3 such a rink floor and freezing means is illumi` nating means disposed below the floor and di rected upwardly through the floor and ice layer to provide a great Variety of novel illuminating effects on the ice as well as the skaters. The illuminating means may be of any desired character to provide the effect desired and, in the form of the invention shown, is composed of a series of neon or other gaseous discharge tubes 20 associated with reflectors `2.2 supported by the cross members I3. Any other lights of the steady type, intermittent or stroboscopic may also be employed alone or in combination and ar-v ranged in any manner desired by those skilled Y the art. The present invention provides an ice` skating rink which may be illuminated fromlibe-A neath and through the ice` so that .distinctively novel illuminating effects not heretofore possible are for the first time made available. Ice-)skating rinks constructed in accordance with the inventionare Iof particular value inwcon-nection with ice-skating shows and `other exhibitions to provide, novel illumination lfor the.,performersy 'and .their vcostumes .andk scenery as well -as for the .skating surface.

In the modied form of floor bloc1 r24v shown in Figs 4 Aand 5 the block` is hollow and receives within itsinterior transversely extending. gaseous ldischarge tubes `orother illuminating means 26.. .Novel effects maybe obtained by providing a mirrored reflecting surface 28y whichj may be supported on the interior lower -Wallof the block.

Instead =of providing separate floor blocks-and refrigerant tubing su-ch as show-n. in Figs..1 and v2, a further modified f orm of block asshown at 3B in Figo may be provided hav-ing molded transversely extended channels 32 Afor .the passage of refrigerant whereby to combine the refrigerant. tubes directly inthe floor blocks whichiare. laidsothat the channels .are `in alignment. .It will beriinder- .stood that the floor blocks shown i-n Eigs.- l tot, rlike the blocks it, are formed of. transparent or translucent material as .abovedescribed-- As a fur-,ther modified feature, theini/ention `contemplates that the trans-parent 'or translucent .floor .and side walls may, where -desired,.l ae1cast integrally as shown at 3E and 31 in Fig. liinstead of being formed of separate elements.

it will .be understood that the .inyention'embracesw-ithin its scope ice-,skating :rinks of van' iousother constructions and arrangement .of

parts than herein specifically slrown.and described provided the particular novelill-uminating feature is embodied therein l. An illuminated ice-skating rink @comprising a licor of light transmitting material,meanspro vidinga light transmitting ice-skating surface.- on

said'floor, boundary walls extending upwardly Anf said. floor fzor'retaining said 'ice-sinating. surface and a light source for illuminating isaidorink-fdismaterial extending upwardly of saidolor'for'retaining said ice-.skating surface andalight .source for .illuminating said. ring.l disposed below. said iceskating surface and. arranged todirect `illuminat- 3. An illuminating ice-skating ring comprising, va floor of light transmitting material, means pro- Viding an ice-skating surface on said floor, boundary walls extending upwardly of said floor for retaining `said ice-skating surface, refrigerating means for said ice-skating surface and .a light source for illuminating said rink disposed below said ice-skating surface and arranged to direct illuminating beams upwardly through said ice- .ska'ting surface.' 1

4.' An illuminated ice-skating `rink comprising, a oor of light transmitting material, means providing a light transmitting ice-skating surface on said vtloor, boundary walls extending upwardly of said floor for retaining said ice-skating surface,

alight-source for illuminating said rink disposed below said ice-skating surface and arranged to direct illuminating beams upwardly through said .rice-.skating surface and light transmitting refrigerating means for said ice-skating surface disposed between the light source and Aice-skating surtaxco. y y l 5. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a floor of light transmitting material,l means providing a' light transmitting ice-skating surface on saidloor, bound-airy walls extendingupWar-dly of said floor for retaining said ice-skating surface, a lightsource for illumina-ting sai-d rink 'disposed below said ice-skating surface and arranged to. direct illuminatingfbearns upwardlythrough `said iceskating surface and light transmitting refrigerating means for said. ice-skating surface, said .refrigerating 'means compri-sing headers *and interconnecting tubes of light v-ftra-nsmitting mate.-

rial `containing a nonopadue-fluid medium .dis-` posed between the .light source andv ice-skating surface.v

\6:.- An .illuminated ice-skating ring comprising, horizontal., frame: members, a floor of light trans- `mii-,ting material supported by saidV frame..mem bers, means providing a light .transmitting ice- :skating .surf-ace on said' hoor, .boundary walls eextending *upwardly fof said floor for retaining said ice-skatingpsurfaoe, 'crossxmembers extending. be.- tween .saidfframe members below said liloor andfra .light source supp orted vby said-cross members :and arranged to direct illurnmatin-g"beams"v upwardly through said floor.

."7.. .4in-v illuminated. Yice-skating rink comprising, a :fiumi-:gv a .door of light. .transmitting ymaterial supported'.by said frame, .means providing a light transmitting ice-skating surface on said zflonr, boundary wall-s extending upwardly .ofsaid door forretainmgsaid ice-skating surface, and alight sourcesupportedabysaid: frame beneath said floor and' arranged tn.y direct. illuminating; beams upwardly through said floor; H Y

I 8; :illuminiatedl i-.ceeskating rink comprising,

af frame4 za floor. of light transmitting .material supported by said frame, meansprovidingaiight transmitting: iceeskating surface' on .said floor; .re-

frigerating means for said ice-skating. surface arida source supported saidrxfr'ame and arranged. to; i direct illuminating beams upwardly through said floor.

9.. An;l illuminated. ice-skating rink comprising,

.a frame, an .licor of light'transmittingmaterial supported by said frame, means providing/a light transmitting ice-skating surface on zsai-door, a

1 light source; supportedby said. framebeneath .said

iloorand .arranged to .direct villuminating. beams `rmwa'mily through .said floor .and transmit- Vting1refrigerating;means.for .sain icesskating suri- .facez disposed, between the light source.-` and ineyskating surface:

10. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a frame, a floor of light transmitting material supported by said frame, means providing a light transmitting ice-skating surface on said floor, a light source supported by said frame beneath said floor and arranged to direct illuminating beams upwardly through said floor and light transmitting refrigerating means for said iceskating surface, said refrigerating means comprising headers and interconnecting tubes of light transmitting material containing a non-opaque fluid medium disposed between the light source and ice-skating surface.

l1. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a plurality of light transmitting blocks forming a floor, an ice layer having a skating surface supported by said floor, boundary walls of light transmitting material extending upwardly of said oor for retaining said ice layer and skating surface and a light source for illuminating said rink disposed below said skating surface.

12. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a plurality of light transmitting blocks forming a floor, an ice layer having a skating surface supported by said floor, boundary walls of light transmitting material extending upwardly of said floor for retaining said ice layer and skating surface, a light source for illuminating said rink disposed below said skating surface and light transmitting conduits for a refrigerant disposed between said light source and said skating surface,

13. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a plurality of light transmitting blocks forming a floor, an ice layer having a skating surface supported by said floor, a light source for illuminating said rink disposed below said skating surface and light transmitting conduits for a refrigerant disposed between said light source and skating surface.

14. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a floor, means providing a light transmitting iceskating surface supported by said oor, refrigerating means for said ice-skating surface, and a light source for illuminating said rink disposed below said ice-skating surface and arranged to direct illuminating beams upwardly through said ice-skating surface.

15. An illuminated ice-skating rink comprising, a iioor, an ice layer having a skating surface supported by said floor, refrigerating means for said ice layer, and a light source for illuminating said rink disposed below said ice-skating surface and arranged to direct illuminating beams upwardly through said ice-skating surface,

REUBEN J. YOCUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,762,383 Booraem June 10,1930 2,270,745 Todd Jan. 20, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 121,753 Switzerland Nov. 5, 1926 

